Opinion: 119,000 reasons to take action in Connecticut in a crisis

In 2023, Dalio Education released a report that sent shockwaves through the state. There is a crisis in Connecticut, and one that we are not adequately seeing or naming, despite its pervasiveness. It is “Connecticut’s Unspoken Crisis,” and there are 119,000 Connecticut children and young adults who are at-risk of social isolation, academic failure, low educational and career aspirations, homelessness, unemployment and are disconnected from their peers, schools and communities.

Connecticut has a statewide crisis — one that will significantly impact the long-term resilience of our economy and the strength of our communities. However, like any other crisis, this will require action from all stakeholders. That is why CCM has convened the 119k Commission on At-Risk and Disconnected Youth, one that will not just name the problems, but develop a statewide strategy for getting young people back on track. The 119k Commission is comprised of bipartisan municipal leaders representing towns and cities across Connecticut.

Report: About 19% of CT youth ‘disconnected’ or ‘at risk’ in 2021-22

This is not CCM’s first foray into this work. After the release of the report, they put together five roundtables with expert panelists to discuss the findings. Dozens of people showed up in person, and tens of thousands watched these forums livestreamed at home. There is no doubt that this issue struck a chord with the public, and it’s likely because this is a crisis that has no borders, impacting every town and city in this state.

Because of this, because these children and young adults live in every corner of this state, urban and rural, it’s hard to imagine the scope of 119,000 individuals. Middletown mayor and panelist at a CCM roundtable, Ben Florsheim, called it “The Missing City.”  And imagine for a moment, a Connecticut city, where the population is made up of entirely youth, 14- to 26-year-olds. It would be the fifth largest city in Connecticut — somewhere between Waterbury and Hartford in size. A city that large, disconnected from the state, is a crisis.

Many believe that this is a result of the pandemic, but that isn’t what the report found. The pandemic accelerated this crisis, but it is not the cause. Around 60,000 young people were experiencing disconnection, every year, in years well before the pandemic, and tens of thousands more were at-risk.

One in 3 students are at risk of not graduating high school. For the first time in years, the graduation rate declined in 2023. 41% of young men of color end up disconnected. These numbers are stark, but they don’t have to be.

We know this in part because we’ve seen the power of what people can do when they have the right access, and the right tools, to be a part of the solution. If there’s anything we learned from the CCM roundtables, it is that this is not a hopeless situation. There is cause for hope because of committed individuals around the state who are often already doing the work, but want to do more. But also because there are 119,000 reasons to be hopeful, 119,000 people who need us to care, and more importantly, to act.

Why should Connecticut act? There is the economic argument, that Connecticut will stand to save millions of dollars in government spending and gain unrealized tax revenue. There’s also the moral imperative to act, which is what drives us to serve as co-chairs of the 119k Commission. It’s the right thing to do for every young person; it’s the right thing to do for the future of our municipalities and our state.

Throughout the next several months, the 119K Commission will be holding meetings where we will build on the “Connecticut’s Unspoken Crisis” report and gather ideas to develop a statewide strategy for solving this crisis. We want you – the young person, the parent, the educator, the non-profit leader, the employer – to share your ideas for solutions. We will hold meetings around the state, where you will be able to submit testimony. Information on times and locations will be available on 119KCommission.Org. If you can’t make it in person, we will be livestreaming all of our meetings, and you will be able to submit testimony on our website.

Connecticut has 119,000 reasons to act, and solving this crisis begins with you standing up to share your voice.

Josh Brown, Elinor Carbone, and Andrew Ferguson are the tri-Chairs of CCM’s 119K Commission on At-Risk and Disconnected Youth.